Politico notes that the "growing schism between the Republican Party's ascendant right wing and its shrinking moderate core has clear gender undertones" which "raises fresh questions about the GOP's ability to recruit, elect and even tolerate the sort of moderate women who used to be part of its ruling mainstream."
Key statistic: There are just 17 Republican women in the House today.
"And with less than a year to go before the 2010 midterm elections, Republicans have enlisted just 13 more to challenge Democratic incumbents. Even if all of them won, Republicans would have at most 30 women in the House -- about half the number Democrats now have."